March 2004 Disasters

March 8, Antalaha, Madagascar : Cyclone Gafilo with winds of 160 mph and heavy rains left hundreds of thousands homeless and killed 295 people. More than 100 were on a ferry that sank off the island of Comoros.

March 8, Baltimore, Md: Thunderstorms and strong winds gusting to 55 mph swept through Baltimore overturning a water taxi in the inner harbor, killing 5.

March 11, Madrid, Spain: Ten bombs exploded on morning commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191, injuring more than 1,500, causing the worst terrorist attack in Europe. Although the bombings were initially blamed on the ETA, a Basque separatist group, several Moroccans and Indians with possible ties to Al-Qaeda were later arrested. The bombings came a day before the Spanish elections and may have influenced the vote. The Spanish rejected the ruling government party of Jose Maria Aznar's who supported the coalition in Iraq and elected the Socialist party under Zapatero who pledged to remove troops from Iraq unless the United Nations took control.

March 28, Santa Catarina, Brazil: The first documented hurricane in the South Atlantic, since records began in 1966, struck Brazil, killing 3 people.